[McGruff]

The leaked cables range up to the "SECRET NOFORN" level, which means they are meant never to be shown to non-US citizens.

No quite CLASSIFIED but still smells fishy.

[norton]

"SECRET NOFORN" level, which means they are meant never to be shown to non-US citizens...Not quite CLASSIFIED...

Uh - It's first designated as SECRET, a classification level, then it's deemed NOFORN, a status that keeps it away from allies who might otherwise have access to that level of classification.

[Ramius]

No quite CLASSIFIED but still smells fishy.

It is classified. It's classified as "SECRET". The NOFORN additionally means that foreign individuals with a Secret level of clearance still aren't supposed to see it (like NATO countries).

I haven't seen anything yet that suggests that any TOP SECRET materials were compromised. This means the kid may have only had a SECRET level clearance in the first place. A SECRET clearance does not require a full-on background check (with field interviews and all that). It requires an extensive application with life history info, bank info, and some references that are generally phone-interviews. It's thorough for what it is, but it's not as extensive as a TS clearance background investigation.